Tray and secondary battery manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

A tray that is used in a manufacturing process of a secondary battery and accommodates a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction. The tray includes a guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction, a plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and configured to be moved along the arrangement direction, a pressing mechanism guided by the guide shaft portion and configured to be moved along the arrangement direction, and a collar that is coaxial with the guide shaft portion and disposed between two partition plates adjacent to each other among the plurality of partition plates.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tray that is used in a manufacturing process of a secondary battery and accommodates a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, the tray comprising:
 a guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction;   a plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and configured to be moved along the arrangement direction;   a pressing mechanism guided by the guide shaft portion and configured to be moved along the arrangement direction, the pressing mechanism being configured to switch the plurality of partition plates and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of partition plates, between a restrained state in which a restraining load is applied in the arrangement direction and an unrestrained state in which no restraining load is applied in the arrangement direction; and   a collar that is coaxial with the guide shaft portion and disposed between two partition plates adjacent to each other among the plurality of partition plates, the collar being configured to define a minimum separation distance between the two partition plates.   
     
     
         2 . A tray that is used in a manufacturing process of a secondary battery and accommodates a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, the tray comprising:
 a guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction;   a plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and configured to be moved along the arrangement direction;   a pressing mechanism guided by the guide shaft portion and configured to be moved along the arrangement direction, the pressing mechanism being configured to switch the plurality of partition plates and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of partition plates, between a restrained state in which a restraining load is applied in the arrangement direction and an unrestrained state in which no restraining load is applied in the arrangement direction; and   a connection bracket configured to define a maximum separation distance between two partition plates adjacent to each other among the plurality of partition plates.   
     
     
         3 . The tray according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a collar that is coaxial with the guide shaft portion, disposed between the two partition plates, the collar being configured to define a minimum separation distance between the two partition plates.   
     
     
         4 . The tray according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the connection bracket includes:
 a base portion extending in the arrangement direction; 
 a fixing portion provided on a first side of the base portion in the arrangement direction and fixed to one partition plate of the two partition plates adjacent to each other; and 
 a regulating portion provided on a second side of the base portion in the arrangement direction and configured to come into contact with an other partition plate of the two partition plates adjacent to each other in a case where a distance between the one partition plate and the other partition plate is the maximum separation distance. 
   
     
     
         5 . The tray according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the fixing portion includes a pair of wall portions configured to come into contact with both surfaces of the one partition plate, and   the regulating portion includes a regulating wall configured to come into contact with a surface of the other partition plate, the surface being opposite to the one partition plate in the arrangement direction.   
     
     
         6 . The tray according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein a first space is provided between the pair of wall portions, the first space being open in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction and into which the one partition plate is inserted, and   a second space is provided between the fixing portion and the regulating portion, the second space being open in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction and into which the other partition plate enters while allowing movement of the other partition plate in the arrangement direction.   
     
     
         7 . The tray according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an elastic member that is coaxial with the guide shaft portion, disposed between the two partition plates, the elastic member being configured to exert a restoring force in a direction that separates the two partition plates.   
     
     
         8 . The tray according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the elastic member is in a compressed state even in the unrestrained state.   
     
     
         9 . The tray according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the partition plates are provided with protrusions configured to support the battery cells.   
     
     
         10 . The tray according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an elastic member that is coaxial with the guide shaft portion, disposed between the two partition plates, the elastic member being configured to exert a restoring force in a direction that separates the two partition plates.   
     
     
         11 . The tray according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the partition plates are provided with protrusions configured to support the battery cells.   
     
     
         12 . A secondary battery manufacturing apparatus in which a restraining tray configured to switch between a restrained state in which a restraining load is applied in an arrangement direction and an unrestrained state in which no restraining load is applied in the arrangement direction in a state in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in the arrangement direction, and a normal tray in which no restraining load is applied in the arrangement direction is used,
 the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus comprising:   a first device configured to perform at least one of an initial charging process, a charging and discharging process, and a charging and discharging inspection process, in a state where the battery cells are placed on the restraining tray and are in the restrained state;   an aging device configured to perform an aging process in a state where the battery cells are placed on the normal tray; and   a transfer device configured to transfer the battery cells from the restraining tray to the normal tray or from the normal tray to the restraining tray.